Eating on $1 a day: Life in Uganda makes an impression

Chico >> Shirley Adams and her husband, Grant, are in the middle of a "really meaningful exercise in discipline," she said. "It makes me forever grateful for what I have."

The exercise is about food. The couple made a decision that for a week, they would spend only $1 a day each for food. The idea came to them after their return from a recent trip to Uganda, where they are involved in clean water projects. She is the founder of Bridging the Gap by Giving, a nonprofit that raises money and awareness for clean water in developing countries.

While the couple spent three weeks in June in Uganda, they became acquainted with and now support TivaWater.

"We ate on a $1 a day and saved $100 to buy a TivaWater Filtration System for an African family. It's a sand filtration system, and it will give an African family clean water for life," she said. "It could be the end of boiling water ... Someone in Tennessee designed one that's lightweight and in 2015, it will be made in Uganda. We're getting behind it."

While clean water is the focus of Adams' endeavors — she travels to developing countries frequently, hosts fundraisers and works to raise awareness — she has seen that people often need what Americans take for granted. In particular, getting enough food is a daily struggle.

"I have friends in Africa, and this is their life. I've been to events where there is a buffet, and I've never seen people pile food so high on their plates. There is a feeling of food insecurity," said Adams.

"One billion people live on $1 a less or day. In Africa, we were with people who were just scrounging. Over 2 billion eat on $2 a day. We wanted to see difference."

During the first week, their staples were rice, beans and oatmeal. "We allowed ourselves to eat anything that grows on our property. We have a peach tree and grapes and basil. We picked wild blackberries.

"We were eating about 1,000 calories a day. I wasn't full, but I had enough. I lost six pounds and felt OK, but I wasn't trying to lose weight. I worked out every day, biking and hiking, and I used weights."

She said they ate no meat the first week. "I'm not a big meat eater, but we had none. We had pinto beans — they are an almost perfect food, in terms of protein and fiber."

Adams said popcorn was a "huge filler, and you get can a pound for 93 cents. I wanted flavor, so I bought an onion and a little pasta. We did it every day of the week and we spent all the money except 50 cents."

For the second week, when the couple raised their daily cost for food to $2, "it was really more do-able. We're doing that now. We bought a cooked chicken. We boned it and used the carcass to make broth for rice."

Eating on a $1 or $2 a day required planning and discipline, but Adams said it is indeed feasible. "It is possible to eat healthy in our country with a small amount of money ... we sure wouldn't have an obesity problem," she said.

She considers the comparison between life in developing countries and the United States. "We never become as generous as we were created to be until we realize how much we really have."

While the trip to Africa was worthwhile, she is glad to be home. "We were out of the country for five weeks. Right now, our big trip is our backyard," Adams said.

Contact reporter Mary Nugent at 896-7764.

Bridging the Gap by Giving is a nonprofit that raises money and awareness for clean water in developing countries. It is part of the Annie B's Community Drive, a fundraiser for nonprofits that begins Friday, Aug. 1. Visit www.bridgingthegapbygiving.org/